“The workplace is constantly evolving, and our mission is to place you at the forefront.
We help businesses get the most out of their people, find the best solutions and deliver real results to their bottom line.”
A Unique Approach
At The BLA we believe that business success is linked to the skills, knowledge and experience that are held by our people. Developing a workforce and providing access to relevant learning is what we do.
We work with all types of businesses and learners across a range of sectors to provide training, qualifications and workplace development packages, including:
Chartered Management Institute (CMI) qualifications
City and Guilds (C&G) qualifications
Commercial short courses via an online virtual learning environment
Bespoke training to support upskilling and refresher training including one day short courses through to accredited Leadership and Management qualifications
Businesses that invest in the right and regular staff training and development achieve more productivity, improved motivation, and lower staff turnover - all helping to increase business performance.
Speak to us about your goals and we will find the solution for your business.
Meet the Team
Nicola Roke – Managing Director
Nicola has spent over two decades as a senior HR professional and, for the last 10 years has delivered high quality, pragmatic advice and consultancy solutions to businesses. She leads The Business Learning Academy Ltd alongside her fantastic team.
Nicola is passionate about helping businesses attract, develop and retain the best people for their business and is proud to be able to offer businesses and learners high quality, bespoke learning and development from chartered professional qualifications through to bespoke training and elearning.
Sarah Hanson – Director of Learning
Sarah has extensive experience delivering and managing in the education sector, working at executive level managing teams and lecturing to a wide variety of audiences. One of her proudest achievements was setting up a Training Academy for ethnic minorities in a disadvantaged area, creating jobs for teaching assistants in local schools. As well as owning her own business, which was awarded and recognised Nationally as one of the top 5 independent businesses in the pre-school retail sector, she has a passion for learning and maintains a strong focus on her own CPD.
Duncan Roke – Business Development Director & Programme Trainer
Duncan’s had a varied career which started as a professional rugby player at an international level through to rugby coaching alongside his successful sales career in medical devices. Duncan was recognised for his exceptional success and achieved President’s Club twice from his sales and business development roles. But leading teams is really where his passion lies.
Duncan’s energy and passion for all things learning and development coupled with his excellent track record in sales make him an energetic and highly sought-after trainer.
Natalie Cutler – Associate Leadership & Performance Trainer
Natalie has lived and breathed the world of Training and HR for 30 years, 28 of which were spent with ACAS where she offered advice, diagnostic work, dispute resolution and delivered training on all thing’s employment, HR and leadership. She is passionate about people and ensuring that managers and leaders are well trained and equipped to lead their teams.
Dee Vickers – Head of Apprenticeships & Partnerships, Kingston Maurward
Dee holds a wealth of knowledge and experience which has led to her position as head of apprenticeships and partnerships at Kingston Maurward College, The Business Learning Academy’s strategic partner.
From leaving the Army to teaching flight and radar data processing and training in forestry and arboriculture, Dee has a passion for training and development. Since setting up her own training and assessment company, she also now manages all adult education and subcontracting at Kingston Maurward College.
Jane Poole – Independent Assessor
An experienced and insightful Manager, Jane tackles challenges with an enthusiastic, detailed, and pragmatic approach. Her experience covers leadership and management, business development, learning and development, advice and guidance, employability, customer service and performance management.
She has worked across financial services, IT and higher education sectors where she has driven government tendering and funding. Jane’s quality ethos positions her as a sought-after assessor, IQA and an external verifier.